Second Chances
by Niamh Cunningham
Summary: "No, you don't understand," she yelled. "Then help me to understand. Talk to me."


**Ok so this is the first oneshot I've ever written and I'm feeling brave enough to publish it. I fell in love with Rick when watching the film a couple of days ago and I'm seriously struggling to survive with the lack of him on this site. So here is my contribution! Feedback would be appreciated seeing as I'm not used to this kind of thing _at all!_ This is completely rushed and probably makes no sense but I hope you enjoy it anyway!**

 ** _Note: the reader has hydrokinesis_**

 ** _Warnings: swearing and some violence, super long because I got excited_**

* * *

The squad decided to raid an abandoned bar after finding out the true nature of their mission. They needed a break. Instead of a simple rescue, they had been tricked into an extremely high risk operation to kill some crazy, old witch, and in doing so, stop the world from being blown to pieces. Fantastic.

Y/n sat at the bar, where Harley was serving drinks, beside Chato and Floyd, not really paying any attention to their conversation. Turning her head to look down the bar, she saw that Boomer had pretty much passed out from all the drink he just downed in the past 3 minutes. Chuckling to herself a little at his ridiculousness, she looked to her right to see Katana sat at one of the tables, quietly cleaning her blade. A couple of tables behind her was Croc, who seemed to be picking something (y/n didn't want to know what) out of his teeth. Y/n couldn't help but wonder why they were all in this ridiculously messy situation. Oh, that's right, it was because they were expendable. Good for nothing criminals. The bad guys.

It was then that y/n noticed the American soldier slipping in through the entrance and taking a seat at one of the far tables. Y/N couldn't tell if the others had not noticed his arrival or were just choosing to ignore him completely. She didn't blame them, after all, he had lied and helped mislead them all into this mess. Despite this, y/n couldn't help but watch in fascination as he took his gun apart and began to clean it before reassembling the parts. His hands worked so swiftly and smoothly. It was no surprise to her that Waller had chosen him for such a mission. His professionalism and strength was unparalleled to any other soldier y/n had the misfortune of meeting. But over the past few days, y/n couldn't help but admire him. His determination, expertise and devotion to the task in hand - he had the aspects of a true American hero. And also, in a strange, unexplainable way, Rick Flag made y/n feel shielded. Safe. Y/n wasn't entirely sure what from - whether it was the other criminals or the magic, mutant army - but he made her feel protected.

Y/n's attention returned to his hands as they worked around the different parts of the gun. Soon she found herself studying his face. She began to take in his features as he concentrated. She noticed that his forehead was creased slightly and his mouth was twisted into a firm, thin line. His auburn eyes were focussed and intense, but still bright enough to be noticeable in the dim lighting of the bar.

Y/n realised that she had apparently stared at him for too long when she heard someone clear their throat beside her. Snapping her head around to face Harley, she was greeted with an incredulous but amused expression. Her eyebrows were raised and a mischievous smirk played on her lips. Y/n's eyebrows furrowed as she sat up straight, attempting to cover up the fact that she'd just been caught gawking at the man in the corner, 'what?'

'Seriously, sweetheart? Him?'

'What? Who?' y/n shook her head, attempting to appear oblivious.

Harley scoffed, 'don't act dumb. Mr American Flag over there.'

'Oh? What about him?'

'You got it bad for the boss!' Harley squealed.

Y/n unconvincingly laughed and rolled her eyes, '1, he isn't our boss, Waller is, and 2, no. No, I do not.'

Y/n began to take a gulp of her drink to distract her nervous hands as Harley grinned, 'oh, honey. Trust me. I know love when I see it.'

Y/n began to choke on her drink in shock, ' _Love?!_ '

Harley giggled as y/n wiped her chin and sighed in defeat, 'OK, fine. Maybe I fancy him a little bit. But _love_? That's a strong word, Harley. I don't think so! Besides, I'm pretty sure he hates me. And even if I did have a serious thing for him, he's too, well… _good_.'

Harley watched as y/n looked down at her drink, in which she had formed a small whirlpool, before quietly adding, 'No one could love me.'

There was a solemn moment of silence as the statement hung in the air. There was definitely more to this girl than Harley originally thought. After a little while, Harley took y/n's hand and reassuringly smiled, 'if someone as screwed up as myself can find love, I'm pretty sure it's possible for you too.'

From what she had heard, y/n wasn't sure if she would use the term 'love' to describe the Joker and Harley's relationship, but she appreciated the support all the same. She thanked her with a small nod of her head and an appreciating smile as Harley squeezed her hand before letting go.

'Perhaps you should go and talk to him,' Harley suggested, motioning in Rick's direction, 'he's looking pretty lonely and pathetic over there.'

Y/n grinned and nodded, slowly slipping off of her bar stool. Harley watched as she approached him, with a proud grin, before turning back to the bar.

* * *

'Rick?' Y/n called softly as she approached the soldier.

He barely looked up from his gun before grimly demanding, 'what do you want?'

Y/n was taken back by his harsh tone but nevertheless took the seat opposite him. Aware of his seemingly irritated expression, she replied, 'you were looking pretty lonely, so I thought I'd come over and ask if you want to join us for some drinks.'

Y/n waited for Rick to reply as he continued to clean the barrel of his gun, not looking at her, 'I thought you and your friends didn't like me very much right now.'

Y/n sighed, 'you should have just told us the truth about the mission.'

He scoffed slightly, before finally looking up at her. His eyes were darker than usual as he bitterly replied, 'Yeah? Well, it seems I'm not the only one keeping secrets.'

Y/n realised that he was referring to her for some reason. Her brow furrowed in confusion, 'what the hell is that supposed to mean?'

'I read your file.'

Y/n's heart immediately sank. There was venom in his voice.

'I know what you did.'

He was angry. She could see the fury in his eyes.

'You're a murderer, y/n. A fucking murderer,' he spat.

Y/n shook her head ferociously as she began to panic, 'no. No, you don't understand. It was an ac-'

'You killed them!' He roared, throwing down his gun with a violent thud, making y/n flinch and capturing the attention of the others, 'you killed over 30 people! Women, children, families…good, innocent people! You're a murderer!'

Y/n shrank further into her seat as he stood to tower over her. She refused to let the threatening tears fall, 'please, you don't underst-'

'I thought you were different! I really did. But you're just the same as the rest of them!'

He moved closer to her with an aggressive stride. She tried to look away but up close, y/n could see the intensity of his rage and disappointment. He hated her. The one person she had left that she could possibly care for and _he hated her_.

'You're a monster.'

That was the final push. The tears began to fall as she slapped him hard across the face. Without looking back, she pushed past him and ran out of the doors. She needed to be alone. She needed to get away.

* * *

Rick flinched as he heard the doors slam behind her. After that, silence flooded the bar as the squad tried to process everything that had just happened.

'Nice one, mate,' Boomerang, who seemed to have been woken by the confrontation, sarcastically spat at him before turning back to his drink.

The others watched as Rick shrunk back into his seat, slightly rubbing the cheek where he had been slapped. He then shut his eyes and held his head between his hands. He regretted it.

Harley slowly made her way over to him and sat on the table. He looked up slightly as she began to talk, 'just so you know, you aren't fooling anyone. Especially me. I mean, I did used to be a psychiatrist, ya know. I read people.'

'What are you talking about?' he grumbled, massaging the tensions in his forehead.

'The way you look at her. It's the way I wish Mister J would look at me sometimes.'

Rick shook his head as Harley continued, 'just because we're bad guys, it doesn't mean we don't feel anything. You need to talk to her.'

She was right. She was damn right about all of it. But first, he needed a drink.

* * *

Once the squad had left the bar, Rick immediately began searching for y/n. As he looked up and down the deserted street he could see no sign of her. He started to feel uneasy. Where was she?

He heard Katana shout for them further down the street and quickly paced to find out what she had found. The warrior pointed to the building in front of them and looked up. Rick followed her eye-line. His heart sank at what he saw. Y/n. She was on the roof.

Without thinking, Rick threw down his gun and bolted for the stairwell.

* * *

As y/n looked out at the city's skyline, she was almost completely unaware of the presence behind her until she heard them call her name. She flinched at the voice. It was him. What was he doing here?

Turning around in bewilderment, she saw him standing there with a panicked expression. His eyes were flitting between her and the edge of the roof.

'Y/n. What are you doing?' He asked, slowly.

'What does it look like?'

He sighed and slightly stretched his hands out, 'come on, just move away from the edge.'

Y/n shook her head as he cautiously began to move closer, but she took another step away from him and closer to the edge. He stopped.

'No. I need to do this. I need it to stop.'

'Please, y/n. Don't do this.'

Y/n let out a bitter laugh, 'you said it yourself! I'm a murderer! I don't deserve to live!'

He called her name again but she shook her head, refusing to listen. The tears that had clouded her eyes began to spill.

'No, you don't understand!' she yelled.

'Then help me to understand. Talk to me,' the tenderness and urgency in his voice convinced her that he would listen. She took a deep breath.

'It was an accident. My father died when I was young. It left my mother on her own to care for me and my brother. She couldn't handle it. We were struggling. A couple of months later, my mother got this boyfriend, Vince. He was alright at first, gave us somewhere to live. It was an apartment in Gotham, right next to the river. But then he turned violent. He'd beat her. She didn't tell us this was happening, but I got the idea soon enough. And then one day, I saw him. I saw him attack her. And I lost it. I lost control. The next thing I knew, I had flooded the whole block of apartments. Including my mother and brother. They drowned. I killed them.'

Rick watched as she sobbed, reliving the memory. He found it hard to listen to the pain in her voice as she continued, 'so, the next day, I gave myself into Arkham. Now, here I am 7 years later. It was an accident. A fucking accident. But that doesn't mean that I didn't do it. I took the lives of others. I don't deserve to live.'

Rick didn't know what to say as he watched this girl crumble in front of him. She was so fragile. He wanted to reach out for her but she continued.

'I thought that maybe if I stayed alive I could do some good. Make up for those mistakes. But people like me don't get second chances. All it takes is that one mistake. I thought I could live with the guilt, suffer the consequences. But it hurts. It hurts so much. I can't do it any more.'

Rick stood frozen in shock and contemplation as he listened to every word she said. The tears turned from sorrowful to angry and heated as she freed these built up emotions. She began to yell.

'Did you ever stop to think that the only reason we are branded as bad guys or villains is because normal people like you don't understand us?,' she motioned to the squad below who were listening intently, 'We are not freaks, just different. That doesn't make us bad. Maybe it's the way that people treat us like monsters that makes us that way! We didn't choose to be like this!'

When Rick didn't respond, she took it as an invitation to carry on, 'I thought that maybe I could eventually have something good - hell, have someone good. But I have nothing left. I have no one. I'm alone. I'm so alone.'

Y/n began to weep again. Through her cries, she almost missed Rick speak up.

'You're not alone,' he said, softly, 'not any more.'

She looked at him in disbelief through the blurry tears.

'You have the squad. You have me.'

Y/n couldn't quite believe what she was hearing, but the sincere expression on his face told her to trust him.

'Listen, if I wanted you dead, I could have activated that bomb in your neck at any time. But I need you here. I want you here.'

She found herself just staring at him. She could see his desperation and honesty. He was slowly making his way closer to her. His arms were stretched out, as if reaching for her.

'You're not a monster, y/n. Not to me.'

Although not entirely convinced, y/n found herself falling into his open arms. He was warm. He held her there for a moment, both taking their time to catch their breaths. He kept murmuring that he was sorry and she just nodded her head from where it rested against his chest. Her tears began to dry. He said that he needed her. The feeling of his embrace around her reassured her that she was safe. She wasn't alone.

'Now, let's go save the world,' she heard him mutter, causing a small smile to stretch across her lips.

* * *

The squad had reassembled and were walking down the streets when they were suddenly attacked by the witch's army. It was chaos.

After hitting one creature over the head, y/n turned to see another ferociously approaching her. Before it was able to reach her, y/n watched as it was hit by bullets and fell to the ground at her feet. She turned in the direction that the bullets came from to find Rick lowering his gun. Y/n quickly nod her head in thanks as he winked at her, before they both turned back to continue fighting. A little while after their exchange, y/n looked around to find him again. When she saw him amidst the pandemonium and felt relieved. However, that relief was cut short when she saw saw a creature running up behind him, ready to attack. He didn't notice it. He was going to be killed.

She didn't think. She just ran.

Rick was surprised to hear someone yell his name. He turned to see who it was. He was mortified at the sight that greeted him. Y/n was in front of him, a creature was dead at her feet. She turned to him. A knife was through her stomach. She was screaming. Bleeding.

She looked up and met his eyes, Rick almost had to look away from the pain that he saw there. She began to stumble and almost fell, but Rick ran forward and caught her. He gently lowered her to the ground. Her head rested against his lap. One arm was cradling her neck as the other went straight to the knife. She way crying.

'Shhh,' Rick tried to calm her, despite being anything but calm himself, 'Listen, I need to remove the knife. OK?'

She nodded slightly as his hand wrapped around the handle of the blade. She whimpered as he readied himself. Her screams as he ripped it out would surely echo in his mind forever. It was excruciating. Throwing the bloodied knife to the side, his hand pressed onto the wound. His other hand began to tenderly stroke her hair as he tried to quite her.

'Come on. You're OK. You're gonna be fine, alright? You hear me?'

She just continued to whimper as the tears slipped down her face. He automatically went to wipe them away, softly caressing her cheeks as he did so.

'Why did you do that? What were you thinking!'

She coughed a little before looking up at him, 'I didn't want to die a monster.'

Rick had to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat. Neither of them noticed that the others had begun to gather around them.

'You did good, y/n. You did good.'

A ghost of a smile crossed her lips. Y/n wasn't crying any more and the pain had almost stopped. She felt safe again as he caressed and comforted her. She saved him. She did something good.

Y/n's hand slowly found its way to his cheek. They continued to look at each other, silently saying words that had been left unsaid. It was undeniable the connection they had. The urge to care for each other. The feeling of having someone care for her was something that y/n had forgotten. It was so long ago when someone had shown her this much affection. She'd been craving this for so long. Rick appreciated her and everything she had said. He had this urge to protect her. He had saved her. She had saved him.

Neither of them knew who leaned in first, but just as their lips began to touch - she was gone. Dead.

Her hand slipped from his face and fell to the ground beside her. The colour in her face had completely drained. Those eyes that once held so much emotion were cold and colourless. He'd lost her.

It started to rain.

Rick did nothing but hold her there, in his arms. He didn't know what to do. Shed given her life for him. She sacrificed herself for him. He watched as the raindrops gently pattered against her skin. He couldn't even feel it falling on him. He felt numb.

A hand reach out and touched his shoulder. He turned to see Floyd look down at him. Rick noticed how devastated and sympathetic he looked. He turned to see the others and through the rain, he saw the same expression on their faces. Harley was right, criminals do feel.

'Rick?' Chato said with his eyes wide.

'What?'

'Look.'

He motioned to y/n's body. Floyd took a step back. It was then that Rick felt slight movement in his arms. Snapping his head around, his eyes met with y/n's.

They were vibrant again and looking right back at him. The colour had returned to her skin. She smiled.

 _She was alive._

'Y/n!' Rick whispered in disbelief, 'How?'

She chuckled slightly before looking down to her wound. They watched as the rain washed away the blood - the wound was gone!

Rick looked back at her face in shock. Her smile broadened as she explained, 'hydrokinesis. Water heals me.'

Rick shook his head, 'the rain?'

She nodded. Rick mirrored her smile and brought his hand back to the side of her face, 'You're alive!'

'I'm alive.'

Without waiting another moment, Rick pulled her face up to meet his. Their lips melded together in a desperate yet delicate kiss. Y/n's hand found its way to the back of his neck before fisting it into his hair, pulling herself closer to him. Ignorant to the others and deaf to Harley's squeals of happiness, it was just the two of them. So many emotions coursed through the pair - disbelief, shock, excitement, longing, relief, love. They could feel each other's hearts beating violently against their chests. This was it. The love y/n had craved for so long. She had been given a second chance.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Feedback would be much appreciated - either positive or constructive!**


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